Fourth Sunday of Advent Prayer :: Advent Bidding Prayer

A prayer of intercession for the end of Advent (or Christmas Eve) when all four Advent candles (hope, peace, joy, love) have been lit.

Holy One, be the light in our darkness tonight.
As we have lit the candle of hope,
we pray for those who feel hopeless . . .

As we have lit the candle of peace,
we pray for all victims of violence . . .

As we have lit the candle of joy,
we pray for those whose hearts are weighed down by sorrow . . .

As we have lit the candle of love,
we pray for those who do not feel loved,
for those who struggle to love others . . .

Holy One, be the light in our darkness tonight,
that we might reflect your light into the dark corners of our world. Amen.

Taken from: http://re-worship.blogspot.com.ar/2012/11/prayers-of-people-advent-4.html
Written by Joanna Harader, and posted on her Spacious Faith blog: http://spaciousfaith.com/   

Advent Pilgrimage

“The ancient practice of pilgrimage beckons us to find the places of connection between the terrain inside us and the topography around us, whether it’s the landscape of the natural world, or of a story, or of a season. Pilgrimage calls us to give ourselves to the terrain that we may find foreign or unsettling and to open ourselves to the sacred and surprising places that it holds. Altered by our engagement with these places, we are able to reenter the familiar territory of our lives and see it with different and deeper vision.”
 ~ Jan L. Richardson (Through the Advent Door: Entering a Contemplative Christmas, “Door 10: The Pilgrim’s Coat”)

First Sunday of Advent :: Readings, Reflections & a Candle Litany

Scriptures readings for the first Sunday of Advent from New Revised Common Lectionary: HERE

A couple Advent reflections worth checking out this first week of Advent…
"Advent/Darkness" by Christena Cleveland

“Tireless Hope” by Andrew Ulasich


Candle Litany for Advent

God our life and our breath.
We witness your coming
In the humility of service,
The poor and marginalized,
The new born child,
In the heart of each person we meet,
And in the beauty of all creation.

We watch, wait and witness the mystery of your conception in us,
(The candle is lit)
We are waiting
We are watching
We are witnessing

~ Taken from:
http://re-worship.blogspot.com.ar/2014/11/advent-candle-litany.html
Originally posted by James Hawes, on Sunday Papers. http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/

Advent 2014 :: Coming Soon...

Advent begins in just two weeks on Sunday, November 30. I always find it helpful to consider how I will make space for the season beforehand. There are so many meaningful and rich Advent resources out there that it helps to narrow down which ones will be most helpful beforehand. Instead of posting my own list of online Advent resources, I will point you to Christine Sine’s blog, Godspace. She has already posted her annual list...HERE. Or you can check out my resource guide from last year...HERE.

Christine Sine's annual Advent series is always worth keeping up with. This year it is titled, “Who Will You Invite to the Manger?”.

Instead of posting online resoures, I will share several Advent books that I have enjoyed over the past several years. Most of them are available in Kindle format.  You can click on the book title to learn more about the book.

A Journey toward Home: Soul Travel from Advent through Epiphany 
By Christine Sine & Kristin Carroccino
Speaking of Christine Sine, this new guide to Advent was just published and includes reflections from a wide range of people.

Through the Advent Door: Entering a Contemplative Christmas
By Jan L. Richardson
I really enjoyed this book last year and plan to use it again this Advent. Jan Ricardson has another Advent book called “Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas.” She also offers an online Advent retreat that you can check out HERE.

Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent 
By Enuma Okoro
This book focuses on waiting and longing of Elizabeth and Zechariah.

Monastery Journey to Christmas
By Brother Victor-Antoine D’Avila-Latourrette
I purchased this book a few years ago and it quickly became a favorite!

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas
This is a great compilation of readings from both classic and contemporary writers. An Advent classic!

Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year
By Malcolm Guite
A book of sonnets and poetry for the liturgical year that begins with Advent.